Songbirds at seven, Javanese market at eight, breakfast at nine.
Sunday morning in Paramaribo: the twa-twa contest, the Javanese market and breakfast at nine
€55 per person from 3 people. For two it is €70 per person, because the guide and the vehicle are then split two ways instead of three.
At seven on Sunday morning, dozens of men stand dead still on Independence Square beside cages holding one small bird each, counting which one sings most. You watch, you get told what is actually at stake, and then you eat breakfast at the Javanese Sunday market: bami and telo, not a croissant in sight.
The bird is the twa-twa (or picolet) and the contests have been a fixture of the Surinamese weekend for generations. A good singer is worth serious money and serious betting. We come to watch, not to take part, and we explain what is going on, because without that you just see men staring quietly at cages.
Afterwards we drive to the Sunday market where the Javanese community does its shopping: fresh sambal, steamed snacks, tempeh, young coconut. You have breakfast there the way Surinamese people do on a Sunday, no croissant, but bami, telo with salt meat, or pom if you are lucky.
We finish with coffee and a walk along the Waterkant while the city slowly gets going. You are back by noon with the rest of the day ahead of you.
This tour runs on Sundays only and starts early, because otherwise it does not exist. By nine the bird contest is over.
What happens on the day
Onafhankelijkheidsplein Blauwgrond 6 stops
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06:45
Hotel pick-up, while it is still cool.
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07:00
Independence Square: twa-twa songbird contest, explained.
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08:15
Javanese Sunday market. Shopping the way the neighbourhood does it.
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09:00
Surinamese Sunday breakfast at the market.
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10:15
Walk along the Waterkant, blissfully quiet on a Sunday.
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11:00
Coffee and end of tour, back to your hotel.
Times are indicative. Weather, traffic and how long you want to stay somewhere decide the rest.
Included
- Breakfast and coffee
- Transport throughout
- Guide in English or Dutch
Not included
- Anything you buy at the market yourself
- Tips
Bring
- Cash (SRD) for the market
- A bag
- Sunscreen for the last hour
This is for you if…
Early risers, photographers, and anyone a few days into the city wondering where the Surinamese spend their Sunday.
Do not book this if…
Skip it if getting up at 06:45 on holiday is out of the question: the contest is over by nine and after that this tour does not exist. And it is not a zoo, the birds are kept in small cages, which is simply what this tradition is.
What you meet along the way
Frequently asked questions
What does the Sunday morning tour cost for two people?
From three people the tour is €55 per person. For two people it is €70 per person, because the guide and the vehicle are split two ways instead of three. Other Paramaribo operators do the same: Blue Bird charges €74.50 per person at two and €49.50 from three people.
What is the twa-twa songbird contest in Paramaribo?
On Sunday mornings enthusiasts gather on Independence Square with small songbirds, twa-twa or picolet, in cages. Two cages are set side by side and judges count which bird sings most often in fifteen minutes. It starts around seven and is finished before nine.
Is there anything to do in Paramaribo on a Sunday?
Yes, though it is a different city from the weekday one: many shops and offices close, while the markets, the bird contest and the warungs are at their best. Our four-hour Sunday morning tour (€55 per person) is built entirely around that.
How early do you need to be there?
We pick you up at 06:45. That sounds early, but the contest is over by nine and by eleven it is above thirty degrees. Early is the comfortable part of the day here.
What do children pay?
Children under 4 come free and taste from their parents' plates. From 4 to 11 they get their own tastings for €44 per person, 20% off. In the minibus every child has their own seat, never a lap.
Other tours
- Historic Centre Walking Tour
From the cells of Fort Zeelandia to the synagogue that shares a plot with a mosque.
€40 per person 3 hours
- Paramaribo Food Tour
The market at nine, when it is at its fullest, and a roti lunch to end on.
€55 per person 4 hours
- Blauwgrond by Night: warung hopping
Saoto, satay, petjil and dawet. Four warungs, three hours, no menus.
€55 per person 3 hours
- Cooking class: market to table
You pick out the pomtayer yourself, and five hours later you eat it.
€75 per person 5 hours
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